Morrone with a broken toe

I had a day off. The forecast was better for the east and not feeling up for the big days that will constitute my remaining cairngorm Munros, I opted for a couple of Corbetts. First up was Morrone.



It was a nice drive up to Braemar, a wonderful town. So quiet and peaceful. The road from Braemar to the Linn of Dee has a strange quality that just makes me feel relaxed. I feel the pressures of life lifting, the harness shuffled off.

My toe was sore on the drive up but not too bad so I headed on up.

I parked in the large car park at the top of Chapel Brae by the pond and it was a quick pull to the top of Morrone, 40 minutes or so. The path was big and worn. This it seems is Braemar's hill. I passed a few people on the way up and had a quick chat to a couple on the summit as we gazed at the bigger hills which were so close and still clear of clag.

The summit was an ugly place with a big radio mast, but the views were good - into the cairngorms, off to Lochnagar, over to Glen Shee. Good stuff.

Rather than return the same way I cut through the heather to join the landrover track which rose from the minor road by the river below and then followed the road back through the golf course, cutting up through the trees to return to the start near the viewpoint of the Deeside Field Club.

The viewpoint had this great inscription:

Upon this vantage ground I fain would stand
The prospect with delight my spirit fills
How oft in glowing rapture have I scanned
The waving outline of the distant hills.

It was a nice 2 hour circuit....my toe was sore but it couldn't be that bad?